


She's an Angel

by soprano_buddy15



Category: The Last Kingdom, The Last Kingdom (TV), The Warrior Chronicles | The Saxon Stories - Bernard Cornwell
Genre: Eadith is a queen, Episode 9, F/M, Implied Finan/Eadith, Spoilers for Season 4, Struggling, big sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:35:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25350247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soprano_buddy15/pseuds/soprano_buddy15
Summary: Finan realizes that Eadith is still out there.Takes place in Episode 9 of Season 4.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 27





	She's an Angel

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Java_Blythe_Peralta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Java_Blythe_Peralta/gifts).



> Hi my lovelies! I’ve missed you all so much. 
> 
> I’ve been picking away at this slowly over the week, but now that it’s the weekend I figured I should just finish it. A lot of this comes directly from the show, so a huge round of applause to the incredible writers of season 4!
> 
> I'm also listening to the Choir of King's College Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and the "O Come All Ye Faithful" descant is just one of the most beautiful ever and I want to sing it everyday?? (Yes I'm aware it's the middle of July but whatever.)
> 
> Also another update of one of mine and Java_Blythe_Peralta’s conversations:
> 
> J: “There’s like 15 Ealhswith/Sihtric fits on AO3 and you’ve written 10 of them.”
> 
> LOL.
> 
> Anyway, that conversation also led to forehead kisses and I came to the conclusion that I have not written enough forehead kisses in my fics. So this is for you, J. Now go pack.
> 
> Constructive comments are always welcome! Just don’t be rude, because nobody wants that.

Curses were running through Finan’s head as they threaded the rope through his bindings and hoisted him up. This was not good. 

He grunted as the blood rushed to his head and could not help but squirm in discomfort. Already he was breathing heavier and his heart was beating faster. 

Haesten was taunting Uhtred beside him, and Finan grinned in satisfaction when Uhtred managed to knock his forehead into Haesten’s nose. 

Haesten smiled through the pain, rubbing his nose in disdain. “Oh, such a great warrior, huh?” He drove Uhtred’s sword into the ground. “Here’s your sword. Come and retrieve it.”

The grin slid from Finan’s face as their predicament became more and more real. Haesten was talking to two of his men, and Finan grimaced when he heard the Dane order his men to slit their throats if it took too long to die. 

Finan glanced over at Sihtric, already alarmed at how red his face was growing. His eyes were a bit unfocused, and he knew that it was because of the knock to the head he had taken just before. It had taken a few moments for Finan to be strung up, and Sihtric had been hanging for several minutes already. 

“Calm down, Sihtric,” Osferth ordered as Sihtric moaned. “You will need your energy.”

Real panic set into Finan as Haesten rode off. The two men were still laughing at their good fortune, probably revealing in the fact that Uhtred the Dane-Slayer and his men were strung up like pigs.

But then Finan’s heart stopped.

_Eadith._

Good Jesus, _she was still out there._ He hadn’t seen her get caught with the Lady Aelswith, Stiorra, and Aethelstan. 

Uhtred was seething beside him, the two men laughing at Sihtric’s struggling. “Lord,” Finan whispered. “Eadith. I think she’ll still out there.” 

Uhtred stilled, and shared a glance with Finan. “Are you sure?”

Making sure that the Danes were still busy laughing, Finan nodded. “Lady Aelswith sent her to fetch more firewood. 

“Do you think she could get rid of Haesten’s men?”

“I don’t know.” Finan whispered. “She only has my knife.” He had given it to her just before they had left Aegelesburg, for moments such as this. He only hoped that Haesten or his other men had not found her on the road. 

Sihtric groaned again, Osferth trying to calm him. 

“She’d better think of something fast,” Uhtred said to him, before turning his attention to Sihtric. “Sihtric!”

“Yes.” Sihtric gasped, trying to focus his eyes on their lord.

“Stay awake.” Sihtric continued groaning and gasping for air. “Sihtric! Stay awake!” Uhtred ordered. 

“We’re just like lambs waiting for the slaughter,” Finan muttered to Uhtred as the Danes laughed at Sihtric again.

A woman’s scream pierced the air, and Finan looked around in panic. He knew it was Eadith. The two Danes stopped laughing and searched the area in confusion as she screamed again. “I’ll go,” one of them muttered.

“Can you fetch the knot?” Uhtred whispered to Finan as the one Dane ran off into the trees.

He grimaced, trying to work his fingers around the knot. “The ropes are too tight.”

They both continued to try and work their fingers around the ropes, Osferth and Father Pyrlig focusing on keeping Sihtric calm. The poor man was breathing short and fast now, and Finan knew that if he continued to hang for much longer he probably would not wake up.

A man’s shout cut through the trees, and Finan and Uhtred froze. “Orm?” The other Dane asked, and shuffled past them. “Where are you?”

The Dane kept shouting for Orm as he ran further and further away from them. 

“Finan, get your rope undone!” Uhtred demanded.

“I tried!” Finan exclaimed. He was just as stuck as the rest of them, and Eadith was out there. He hated how helpless he was. 

The sound of someone running through the leaves became louder, and suddenly Eadith was kneeling in front of Uhtred. She was holding an axe in her bloody hands, and Finan had never seen anyone so beautiful. 

“Eadith, quickly! Go to Sihtric!” Uhtred ordered.

She nodded. “All right.”

As she was untying Sihtric’s hands, Finan examined her. Thank the Lord, she did not seem to be injured. She finally cut the rope, and Sihtric’s hands fell toward’s the ground. The worry in Finan’s stomach grew as he noticed that Sihtric was unconscious. “Hurry up,” Finan called to her as she swung the axe, hitting the rope tying Sihtric to the tree. “Make him fall, why don’t you?” Just as he finished, she swung the axe one last time and Sihtric fell to the ground with a solid thud. Thankfully, Finan noticed him wince and move his arms and he sent a prayer heavenward.

“Thank you! Pyrlig next.” Uhtred was continuing to try and untie his bonds. The other Dane was still out there, and chances are he would find Orm’s body. “Wake up, Sihtric!”

Sihtric groaned and sat up, panting heavily. He was resting his head in his hands as Eadith started cutting down Pyrlig. 

Just as the priest hit the ground, the second Dane charged out from the tree-line. “Kill him, Sihtric!” Finan yelled, and bless his friend, Sihtric hurriedly unbound his ankles, got up, and met him. “Kill the bastard!” Finan watched with worry as Sihtric dodged the blade, holding the ropes that had bound his feet together and wrapping them around the Dane’s neck. Using his momentum, Sihtric dropped the ground, taking the Dane with him. 

The Dane knocked his elbow back into Sihtric’s head, and Sihtric fell backward sharply, trying to keep the Dane from getting too close to his face. Finan struggled against his bindings as Pyrlig ran over and pulled the Dane off of Sihtric. 

Osferth fell as Pyrlig bashed the Dane against the tree, Sihtric snagging the Dane’s dagger and driving it into his belly, over and over. “You’re an angel.” Finan heard Osferth say softly to her.

The Dane fell over from Sihtric’s relentless attack, very nearly dead as Osferth took the axe and Eadith supported Finan. Osferth swung it through the rope and Finan fell to the ground, trying not to land on Eadith. 

Although he had been preparing for it, the fall still knocked his breath out of his lungs and he wheezed, trying to sit up. Eadith was looking him over, and he met her gaze as her hand brushed the side of his face gently. 

Too soon, Eadith was already up and helping Osferth with Uhtred, and by the time his lord was on the ground Finan was limping around. Heavens knew how Sihtric managed to jump up and defend himself from the now-dead Dane; the blood was rushing back into his own legs like pinpricks. He very nearly tripped over the ropes before Osferth took pity on him and bent down to untie him.

“Move! They cannot have taken them far!” Uhtred yelled, and rolling backwards onto his feet. He was unraveled; fury and worry was burning in his eyes. 

“They’ve taken the horses, Lord.” Osferth panted. Finan was still leaning on him as his legs burned, and even Sihtric had come up behind him to help him out. 

Uhtred yelled in frustration. “We must get to Stiorra!” 

Finan could not help but feel dejected. “Lord, they do not know she’s your daughter,” he tried to explain, but he knew that it would be no good. Uhtred had his mind set on one thing only. 

Uhrtred addressed Pyrlig. “Find Edward. Tell him what has happened here. We go ahead to Winchester.” He started running on the round towards the city. “They will not take what is not theirs, not whilst I live!”

“Lord!” Finan grasped the blade of Serpent’s-Breath and yanked it from the ground.

“What?” Finan tossed him the blade in response as Uhtred grunted. “Run!”

Good Jesus, his legs were still asleep. He rubbed his hands down the tight muscles, trying to urge them into action. He quickly took the axe Sihtric tossed to him.

Eadith was standing in shock, but Sihtric came up beside her and urged her on. “Let’s go,” he heard him mutter to her. 

She ran just behind him for a while, Sihtric bringing up the rear. Finan tried to think, but he was sure that he was in shock from what had just happened. Eadith as well. 

He wasn’t sure if she had ever handled a blade before, much less taken a life with it. He could still remember the first time he swung his blade and the man before him fell. Too soon, he thought, it had all turned to a blur. 

“Lord, wait.” Osferth pleaded as they came up to another clearing. He was breathing heavily, and even Uhtred slowed down. 

“What now?” He demanded. Osferth pointed behind him and past Finan at Sihtric, who was clearly struggling. 

Uhtred’s face immediately softened, and an expression of almost guilt came upon him. “We will rest for a moment,” he said, and Osferth went straight to Sihtric to examine the growing welt on his head. 

Uhtred continued to pace impatiently, but soon enough he went to help Osferth with Sihtric, who was now sitting on the ground at Osferth’s order. Eadith was still standing quietly, and Finan gently took her arm and lead her to the side. 

“Talk to me, Eadith,” he said. Her eyes were glassy, but when he squeezed her arms softly she met his gaze. She opened her mouth to speak, but then she looked down at her bloody hands and seemed fixated by them. 

Finan’s heart broke for her. She could never go back. Glancing around, he pulled some of the wet moss off of a dead log and wiped her hands as clean as he could. “You have a brave soul, Eadith,” he whispered to her. “We would not be here if not for you.” He nodded towards Sihtric. “Especially Sihtric.”

That seemed to snap her out of her shock. “I had to do something,” she muttered, wringing her hands. “I could not just leave you.”

Finan pulled her close. “And you did. And now we have to go and do something else.” He kissed her forehead softly. “Just one step at a time.”

He held her for a few moments, until Uhtred help Sihtric up. He was looking better, his eyes clearer and he seemed more alert. “We keep going,” Uhtred called out. “If you need to rest, tell us. Otherwise we don’t stop.”

Taking her hand, Finan fell into step beside Eadith as they continued down the road to Winchester, hoping in his heart with every step that she would be safe.


End file.
